


A Year in the Lives

by Quipxotic



Series: Doctor Who Drabbles [17]
Category: Doctor Who (1963), Doctor Who (2005), Doctor Who (Big Finish Audio)
Genre: Audio 02.03: Bonfires of the Vanities, Costume Parties & Masquerades, Drabble, Drabble Collection, Episode: s10e01 The Pilot, Family, Fic Exchange, Gap Filler, Gen, Holidays, Life After the Doctor, Married Couple, Minisode: P.S. (Doctor Who), Post-Episode: s09e12 Hell Bent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-06
Updated: 2018-07-06
Packaged: 2019-06-05 13:25:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 1,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15171668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quipxotic/pseuds/Quipxotic
Summary: A year's worth of events from the lives of the Twelfth Doctor, Bill, Nardole, Clara, Lady Me, Amy, and Rory, with a few special guests.A set with one drabble for every month in the Gregorian calendar. All drabbles are 100 words by AO3’s count.





	1. July

**Author's Note:**

  * For [laurus_nobilis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/laurus_nobilis/gifts).



“This wouldn’t happen,” Nardole gasped, “if we were guarding the vault!”

“Be quiet!” Bill quickly pulled him behind some rocks. She still held the picnic basket in her other hand. “I don’t want to get eaten by a Tyrannosaurus Rex just because you two are having this argument again. Speaking of which, where is the Doctor?”

“In trouble, probably.” 

“And we aren’t?” Bill searched the hamper. “Food, plates, utensils, a blanket…who picnics in the Cretaceous period and doesn’t pack dino-repellent?” She pulled out an oddly-shaped device. “What’s that?” 

Grinning, Nardole took it from her. “Something very clever. Watch this-”


	2. August

“It’s getting worse,” Lady Me yelled, “we should leave-”

“We can’t abandon these people.” Clara found herself yelling too in order to be heard over the roar of the wind. Explosions erupted nearby as the colony’s power network began failing. “Help me get them into the TARDIS-“

“Too late!” 

Clara followed her friend’s pointing finger. She recognized the familiar shape of their ship, but it was no longer where they’d landed. The diner had been pulled into the oncoming tornado and spiraled end over end through the storm. “Toto,” Clara muttered, wide-eyed, “I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore.”


	3. September

Bill ran her fingers along the wall of the sphere. “I thought it was glass, but it’s thin like-“

“Membrane?” The Twelfth Doctor nodded. “Don’t worry, it’s stronger than it sounds. We’re perfectly safe.”

She took his arm as they strolled back to the garden party. “Are the other bubbles like this?”

“Historically inaccurate fantasies? Probably with different scenarios, but otherwise…yes.”

Bill surveyed the crowd. “It’s like everyone’s cosplaying an Agatha Christie character.” The Doctor stopped suddenly and she glanced at him questioningly.

“Complete with a body,” he said, pointing at the dead woman laying on the path ahead. 


	4. October

Amy posed dramatically in the hallway. Glancing up from his computer, Rory did a double-take. “And you are?”

“Joan of Arc.” She hit him playfully with her sword. “Get dressed, the party starts in thirty minutes.” 

As Rory ran up the stairs to their bedroom, the doorbell rang. “Sorry,” Amy said, hastily opening the door, “we’re all out of candy-“

“Good evening.” Madam Vastra stood on their front step and bowed slightly. Behind her, Jenny and Strax eyed the street warily from the Ponds' front gate. “Already dressed for battle? Excellent! I’m afraid we’ve run into a bit of trouble.”


	5. November

“This place,” the Twelfth Doctor frowned, “it seems familiar-”

“It was a library before they turned it into a private home.” Jessica laughed as she poured tea for Bill and Nardole. “There’s a local legend associated with the building and Guy Fawkes Night. When I was a child, my aunt used to tell me the story of the librarian and three mysterious travelers who defeated the evil spirits trying to blowup the town. It’s funny,” she glanced at the Doctor, “in the story, one of the travelers is also called ‘The Doctor.’”

“Hilarious,” deadpanned Nardole, glaring at the Doctor knowingly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The First Doctor story this drabble references is ["The Bonfire of the Vanities"](https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/the-first-doctor-volume-02-1568)


	6. December

The Twelfth Doctor sat with his back to the door of the vault. “Bill’s fantastic - joyous, eager to explore things she doesn’t understand. Reminds me of us when we started. Remember? Before you became evil?” There was no reply from the vault, he couldn’t be sure she was even listening. “I got you a gift too. Something to pass the time-“ 

The sound of a piano playing a jazzy rendition of “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” drifted through the door. The Doctor grinned as it segue into a burlesque version of “Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea.”


	7. January

“Looks like they’re cocooned in green bubble wrap.” Clara reached out to touch the mass laying in front of her, but Lady Me caught her hand. 

“The Wirrn are dangerous, despite how they look.” 

They retreated to the dimly lit flight deck and Clara deadlocked the door. “What are they doing here?”

“Eating their way through the crew?”

“Not funny-”

“Wasn’t meant to be.” Lady Me tapped a sensor. “This ship has a crew of fifty. So where are they?” 

Something rustled in the darkness. Clara turned and trained her flashlight on an army of oversized insects advancing towards them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last Monday in January is Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day, so how could I resist an homage to “[The Ark in Space?](http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/The_Ark_in_Space_\(TV_story\))”


	8. February

“It’s normal to be nervous,” Rory interceded, stopping his wife’s pacing. 

“What if they find out,” a nurse glanced up and Amy lowered her voice, “we aren’t from this time? Our identities-“

“No one has raised an issue before.” Rory hugged her. “River did a good job-“

“Mrs. and Mr. Williams?” A blonde woman entered the room. “We’re ready to finalize the paperwork. Would you like to hold him?”

Amy took the baby from her carefully, an awed smile on her face. 

“What’s his name,” the Thirteenth Doctor asked, completely unrecognizable in her 1940s outfit. 

“Anthony Brian,” Rory answered quietly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> According to Wikipedia, the Roman festival of Caristia was held on February 22 to celebrate love of family.
> 
> For another drabble about this event, visit the "[River Song Drabbles](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13473453/chapters/34526756)."


	9. July

“Keep moving,” the Eleventh Doctor yelled over his shoulder. “We’ll lose them in the crowds-“ 

Amy and Rory followed closely behind him, holding hands to keep from becoming separated. “You know I love a Roman,” Amy quipped, “but being chased by them is hot in all the wrong ways.” 

The Doctor stopped suddenly and they nearly ran into him. “What is it?” Rory asked.

“They’re hemming us in.” Glancing up at a street sign, the Doctor grinned mischievously. Grabbing Amy’s other hand, he pulled his friends with him. “Only one thing for it: it’s time to gatecrash a chariot race!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's always slightly dangerous to cite Wikipedia but, according to them, the Roman celebration of Equirria was held on March 14 and included chariot races in honor of Mars.


	10. April

“Is this a good idea?” Bill settled onto a pew. “If someone catches us ghost hunting in a church in the dead of night-”

The Twelfth Doctor checked his sonic screwdriver. “Whatever’s going on here, it isn’t ghosts.”

“I’ll be sure to tell the police that when we’re arrested for trespassing,” Nardole sighed. “Bill’s right, can’t we investigate in the morning?” 

“Whoever heard of ghosts coming out during the day?”

“But you said-“ Bill paused as Nardole grabbed her arm. Three apparitions with striking resemblances to herself, Nardole, and the Doctor floated through the church doors and down the aisle. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> St. Mark's Eve is on April 24th. According to legend, on that night the ghosts of those who are doomed to die within the year can be seen passing into a church.


	11. May

“Beautiful.” Clara smiled as lights streamed across the predawn sky. “Worth losing sleep for.”

“Not that you need sleep.” Behind her, Lady Me lounged on a blanket spread over the grass. “There are better meteor showers for viewing than the Arietids.”

“I don’t care.” Clara’s expression became wistful. “Have they been discovered yet?”

“Last year, local time.” She was silent for a while. “You’ll have to go back, you know. Before you fly too close to the sun, metaphorically speaking-”

“Technically, I’ve already done that.” Clara threw her pillow at her. “So stop worrying and let me enjoy the fall.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Arietids meteor shower appears from May 22 – July 2 and is primarily visible right before dawn. 
> 
> "No one is sure where Arietid meteoroids come from, although some astronomers suspect they are debris from the sungrazing asteroid 1566 Icarus." - [SpaceWeather.com](http://spaceweather.com/meteors/arietids.html)
> 
> "Every year in early June, Earth passes through the densest part of two interplanetary meteoroid streams. One, possibly consisting of debris from the asteroid Icarus, produces about 60 shooting stars each hour from the direction of the constellation Aries. The other debris stream produces up to 40 meteors per hour from the constellation Perseus. Sadly for star gazers, both constellations are very close to the Sun when these showers reach maximum activity. The blinding glare of the Sun makes most "Arietids" and "zeta Perseids" invisible the naked eye." - [NASA website](https://web.archive.org/web/20071102152836/https://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast06jun_1m.htm), via the Wayback Machine.


	12. June

“Good! You made it.” 

Bill returned Mia’s hug. “Why would I miss Pride?”

“You’ve been gone a lot lately.” Mia shrugged and changed the subject. “Come on, the others are waiting by the tents. By the way,” she added, as they struggled through the crowd, “your grandfather was looking for you.”

“Grandfather?”

“Old white dude with messy hair and a guitar. Said to tell you he’s playing the main stage later.”

“He isn’t?!”

“Also said something about playing with David Bowie?“

Bill froze. “As in ‘he used to’ or ‘is about to?’ Because at this point, neither would surprise me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a bit of a cheat since, although Pride month is June, evidently many of the celebrations in England are held in July. However, in 2017 [the Bristol Pride Festival](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHp8viq3M6I) started on June 30th, so I guess it's in by a nose.


End file.
